Swiss, Norwegian, Icelandic and Liechtenstein citizens in Spain

Key rules

• Same rules as EU citizens: Norwegian, Icelandic, Liechtenstein and Swiss citizens enter, stay, register, bring family and gain permanent residence as EU citizens do.

Your right to live in Spain rests on the EEA agreement if you are Norwegian, Icelandic or Liechtenstein, and on the 1999 EU-Swiss free movement agreement if you are Swiss. The one thing it does not give you is the vote in European Parliament elections from Spain.

Staying longer than three months

You can live in Spain beyond three months if you are:

• working or self-employed,
• studying,
• looking for work, registered with the public employment service and with a real chance of a job (the 6 months count from your arrival), or
• self-sufficient, with health cover and enough money.

Working and studying are covered in Working, self-employed or studying in Spain as an EU citizen; living on a pension or savings in Retired or not working, funds and health cover for EU citizens.

Registering

If you stay longer than three months, apply for the registration certificate within three months of arriving. You receive the Certificado de Registro de Ciudadano de la Unión, a paper certificate with your NIE. After five years of continuous legal residence you hold permanent residence. Your relatives from outside the EU apply for the family card.